OK, there might not be much, but what is there is annoying me! I hit avg about 200 balls a day here in NJ. Good weather has done this. These are sand wedges exclusivly. Don't think I've missed many days in the last year or 2. Some days none, some days 500! Have about 110 yds in the back to hit, so that is it. Now the problem.I can hit/practice whatever, and all is great. I go play, and my practice swing is great. I get over the shot, and I CAN"T GET THE CLUB BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!! This started in the spring, and thru the summer it kind of faded away, only to pop up again. THIS IS DRIVING ME NUTS!!!! Any mental gurus here
i'm not a guru, but i'm certainly mental (most here will attest to that), and this is what i think you need to do. keep in mind that it's only a game, sounds like your putting to much importance (pressure) on the shot. keep your posture time over the ball as short as possible, no more than 5 seconds once you've addressed the ball. hope it helps.
I have the same problem. Too many swing thoughts going threw my head. I'm quessing it may be the same for you? Have you tried to take one more club and take a easy 3/4 swing? Sometimes this works for me at least. I'm not so focused on trying to make a perfect full swing, and I have more confidence im my tempo and turn that way.
As you know by the name of your post, it's all mental. With that in mind, what are you thinking when you take your practice swing? What ever it is, think the same thing when you play the shot. If this works, let me know and I'll try it when I play. Like most of us, I practice a better game than I play on the course. Not many golfers do it the other way I'm afraid.
As you know by the name of your post, it's all mental. With that in mind, what are you thinking when you take your practice swing? What ever it is, think the same thing when you play the shot. If this works, let me know and I'll try it when I play. Like most of us, I practice a better game than I play on the course. Not many golfers do it the other way I'm afraid.
you can say that again, if i'm at the range, i can fade the ball all day long (driver), yet, get to the course, and it's duck hook or straight. i've managed to trim the duck hooks down to one, sometimes two a round, and that's a good thing.
This may sound drastic, but I would stop practicing completely until you get it straightened out on the course if I were you. It sounds as if your great practice sessions have heightened your expectations = performance anxiety.
So you swing/hit fine when it means nothing and lock up when it does, huh? The answer is simple, practice making it mean something. My suggestion may seem ludicrous but then so does not being able to draw the club back. Instead of hitting two to five hundred balls in the outback, leave the shagbag in the garage and grab just one ball. Hit that one ball at a specific target (4" pvc 3" tall will work) and play a game whereby you only get a point when you hit it inside a clublength. Can't quit till you get to x number of points...ten's probably plenty. The shot counts more when you have to walk to the ball after each one. Practice with a purpose.
how hard are you gripping the club, and tensing up? That is pretty extreme not being able to pull the club back.
Start a pre-shot routine when your hitting your sand wedge, and that should clear it up.
OK, there might not be much, but what is there is annoying me! I hit avg about 200 balls a day here in NJ. Good weather has done this. These are sand wedges exclusivly. Don't think I've missed many days in the last year or 2. Some days none, some days 500! Have about 110 yds in the back to hit, so that is it. Now the problem.I can hit/practice whatever, and all is great. I go play, and my practice swing is great. I get over the shot, and I CAN"T GET THE CLUB BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!! This started in the spring, and thru the summer it kind of faded away, only to pop up again. THIS IS DRIVING ME NUTS!!!! Any mental gurus here
Here is something else, your SW swings differently than your longer clubs. Are you having trouble taking all of them back? I know I rarely ever full-swing a wedge, so maybe something to try during your back-yard practice is either some wiffle or foam practice balls. They don't go far, and 110 yards is plenty! With these, you can practice taking full swings with your longer irons and woods in the space you have, and maybe it'll help your muscle-memory on those longer backswings. With 200+ wedges a day, your body is probably not used to a full turn back. Hope that helps!
so maybe something to try during your back-yard practice is either some wiffle or foam practice balls. They don't go far, and 110 yards is plenty!
Heck, with 110 yards, you can even hit those 'almost golf balls' Pelz has his mug on -- you can hit probably every club in the bag with those. I love practicing with those since 1 foot with an almost golf ball is pretty close to 1 yard with a real ball, and the almost golf balls are dimpled like a real ball so they hook or slice just like the real thing would have. You get real feedback from the ball unlike wiffle or foam balls, but they are soft enough that you can hit a house or car with them and not do any damage. My only real complaint with the almost golf balls is that when the dog starts playing with them, her teeth do leave marks. Though the teeth marks haven't affected the balls much at all from what I can tell.
But I like the ideas of making the practice 'count'. And getting into the full shot routine before each practice shot. I know it will feel stupid at first doing it before each practice shot, but routine breeds familiarity and that familiarity should help you to relax before every shot.
It has been said many times before, but while standing over a shot you have to think about the outcome you desire, not the outcome you fear. You think it, it will happen!
It has been said many times before, but while standing over a shot you have to think about the outcome you desire, not the outcome you fear. You think it, it will happen!
About as close as you're gonna get to a perfect answer.
Thx for the responses people Well, I hit 600 yesterday I have another problem that I think most of us have. We do not have the times to practice or the money/facilities that the pros do. Hence I'm always changing/working on a change. This is a good thing, I think, but when playing, they say to just play! Well I can't Trying that change thing Guess that I will get better, or quit NOT!!!!!!! As some guy once said, GIT-ER-DONE
December 20th, 2006, 07:44 AM
Shade
I have another problem that I think most of us have. We do not have the times to practice or the money/facilities that the pros do. Hence I'm always changing/working on a change. This is a good thing, I think, but when playing, they say to just play! Well I can't
NOT!!!!!!! As some guy once said, GIT-ER-DONE
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